Preservation of food products



Patented Apr. 24, 1951 PRESERVATION OF FOOD PRODUCTS Lloyd B. Jensen, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Swift & Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois No Drawing. Application May 10, 1949, Serial No. 92,494

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to the preparation and use of an antibiotic substance, and more; particularly to the preparation and use of an I origin.

A further object of the invention is to provide an antibiotic substance which is nontoxic to humans.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an antibiotic substance which is relatively heat stable.

Another object of the invention is to employ an antibiotic substance having an origin in a vegetative plant as an effective preservative for food products.

In achieving the objects of the present inven- .tion, the finely cut or ground root of the Krameria plants is treated with a suitable nonaqueous, organic solvent, such as acetone. The acetone layer containing the constituents of the plant tissue soluble therein is separated from the acetone-insoluble fibrous mass, the acetone removed therefrom, and the extract taken up in a carrier solvent, such as ethanol.

The following example illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, and the tests falling thereunder illustrate the potency of the material obtained in accordance with the processes of the example.

Example. grams of the root of the plant Krameria triandm were finely ground. The ground plant tissue was then placed in a flask and covered with acetone. The flask was held at room temperature for approximately '24 hours and shaken at intervals. The acetone layer containing the acetone-soluble constituents of the plant was separated from the insoluble material by filtration, and the acetone was distilled ofi under vacuum at 42 C. The residue was taken up in ethyl alcohol per cent) so that 1 ml. of alcoholic extract contained the acetone-soluble material in 5 grams of the original plant tissue.

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the antibiotic material in the alcohol solution obtained in accordance with the example, the following test was performed:

Serial dilutions of the extract were made in 10 cc. broth tubes and the tubes inoculated with bacteria. Each 10 m1. broth tube contained between approximately 30,000 and 75,000 cells of a food poisoning strain of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus niger, Clostridz'um sporogenes, Achromobacter perolens, Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomona fluorescens. The tubes were allowed to incubate at a temperature of 37 C. and were inspected for bacterial growth at the end of 1, 2, 3, and 6 days. In Table I are tabulated the results obtained with the aforesaid bacteria. The minus signs in said table indicate no bacterial growth, and the positive signs indicate the presence of viable bacteria at the incubation periods specified.

Table IContin-ued Incu- Sal. Achro. Dlhmon 32;? aufus rig er 15:53:22. :2? 31 02031212? Controls 220 hrs: v.+

1 10,000 -l g 6 l 20,000 f.

0 1 80,000 g I 6 r 1 l The rhatany antiboitic shows unusually The heat stability of the antibiotic material marked'activity against the gram positive bac- '-teria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus m'ger, although the data given in the above table indicate that the efiects of the said *antiboitic vary -in potency when tested against different organ isms. Thus, the extract kills Staphylococcus aureus-and Bacillus nige'r in dilutions as high as 1 to 40',000,-'Clostridium sporogenesyin "dilutions as high as Ito-1000, and Achrom'obacter meroZem-s only "in dilutions of 1 to 100. The bac- *"tericidal properties of the extract, lethally ;eficctive inthe dilutions indicated for the'various organisms, were demonstrated by inoculating nutrient-agar plates with (ill-cc. of the aforesaid dilutions which had beeniallowedto incubate for "five days. After five days incubation of the inoculated plates, no viable bacteriawere observed as a result of 'the'transfers.

"TableII shows the results of testswithmolds which were used to inoculate the serial ,dilu- "tions-of the extract as in .Table I.

-TabZe.II

Dilution Days ,lium :lium V gillusgillus 'vwtatum tamevhberti niger- 'glaucus Controls The tests with the above moldsashow that the rhatany antibiotic kills Penicillium n'otatum apparently because of the proteinaceouscmate rial-dissolved therein.

was determined by heating portions of the material to temperatures of 60 (3., C., and C. 'for 15, 1 /2, and 3 minutes, respectively, and then inoculating with Staphylococcus aureus. After incubating the material at a temperature of approximately 75 F, for seven days, the lethal potency was 1:200 and the inhibition potency 1:5000.

It is obvious that many variations'in the'solvent treating process may be advantageously employed. For example, since 'the antibiotic material isolated from the rhatany plant-is relatively heat stable, solvent temperatures may range from room temperature to boiling temperature of the solvent with consequent variations in extraction time. The higher the temperature, generally the less time isrequired'ior extraction. I have "found'it preferable .to process the antibiotic substance contained in the rhatany plant bya two-stage solvent process involving first treating the substance with .a primary solvent .which is substantially removed, and then taking up the resulting extract with another solvent so as to form a solution which is a convenient formbf using the product. WI have found that acetone isa mostefiective pri- .mary solvent in producing the antibiotic ,substance from the ,plant tissue. .Aiter -evaporat- -,ing..o.ff .the acetone, .the preferred solution is made with -acarrier solvent, such asethanol, which may be consumed internally without harm. By using ethyl alcohol, I also utilize its "well-known properties, such as nontoxicity and ability to prevent contamination.

In the processing of food products, a serious problem is the preservation thereof; and althrough great strides have been made in improving the quality and keeping time of various food products by refrigeration, canning, curing, plant-sanitation, etc, the problem of preserva tion of food requires the constant attention of the food processor to improve long-established -methods of treating food and devise new means of food control.

Food spoilage is due primarily to microbial action, and the species of microorganism responsible for food deterioration are numerous. The sporing genera, Clostridium and Bacillus, for example, when contaminating food, cause food spoilage. Another serious concern of the food handler is food poisoning, which is often of an insidious nature because food products may be ample, in treating meat products, such as hams,

sausages, and canned meats; cream fillings for pastries, such as cream puifs, chocolate eclairs,

custards, and the like; and canned vegetables to prevent swelling due to organisms, such as the genus Bacillus.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description of methods of using the antibiotic substance.

As hereinbefore mentioned, I have found that the antibiotic reagent herein described is lethal to a number of microbes in a 1 to 40,000 dilution of the extract, the extract being of such strength that 1 ml. of the alcoholic solution thereof contained the acetone-soluble constituents in 5 grams of root. Therefore, the addition of 1 part of the solution to 40,000 parts or less of the conventional pickling solution will result in a meat product cured therewith which has a very marked increase in resistance to the development of pathogenic organisms.

The following is an example of a curing pickle stock, which may be used in a process for quickcuring hams when provided with antibiotic substance within the proportions outlined above; that is, the antibiotic substance may be added in an amount such as to effect a 1 to 500 dilution of the antibiotic material of the arbitrary strength herein described (1 ml.=l g. of tissue).

To 100 gallons of a 90 salometer solution there are added:

7 lbs. sodium nitrate 10 oz. sodium nitrite 20 lbs. sugar 378.5 cc. antibiotic solution Luncheon meat was cured according to conventional methods in which the antibiotic substance was present in a 1 to 500 dilution. The meat product was placed in six 6-pound cans and retorted to an inside temperature of 155 F. and incubated at 99 F. After 30 days of incubation,

no swelling of the cans could be observed. The

control cans swelled in one week.

A further example of the utility of the said antibiotic material is the use in a cream filling for various pastries. To determine the effectiveness, a standard cream filling used in eclairs was inoculated with a bacterial solution containing 100,000 living Staphylococcus aureus S-l per 100 ml. and the filling incubated at a temperature 7 between 75 F. and 80 F. The results of the tests are given in Table III.

The foregoing tests indicate that the antibiotic preparation exerts a pronounced inhibiting action against the Staphylococcus aureus in cream fillings.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In the process of treating food products, the step of adding to a food product a small amount of an antibiotic substance derived from a plant of the genus Krameria by treatment with a non- I aqueous organic solvent to preserve said food product against pathogenic bacteria responsible for food poisoning and spoilage.

2. In the process of quick-curing meats wherein a pickling solution is injected into said meat, the step of adding to said pickling solution a small amount of the antibiotic substance derived from a plant of the genus Krameria by treatment with a non-aqueous organic solvent to substantially retard the growth of pathogenic bacteria responsible for food spoilage and poisoning after the said solution is injected into the said meat.

3. In the process of preparing pastries containing fillings subject to spoilage by pathogenic bacteria, the step of adding to the said fillings a small amount of the antibiotic substance derived from a plant of the genus Krameria by treatment with a non-aqueous organic solvent to substantially retard the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the said fillings.

4. A meat pickle including a small amount of an antibiotic substance derived from a plant of the genus Krameria by treatment with a nonaqueous organic solvent.

5. A cream filling for pastries including a small amount of an antibiotic substance derived from a plant of the genus Krameria by treatment with a non-aqueous organic solvent.

6. In the process of treating food products, the step of adding to a food product a small amount of alcoholic solution of an antibiotic substance derived from a plant of the genus Krameria to preserve said food product against pathogenic bacteria responsible for food poisoning and. spoilage.

LLOYD B. JENSEN REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 469,850 Chesebrough Mar. 1, 1892 2,084,864 Paddock June 22, 1937 2,098,110 Schertz et a1 Nov. 2, 1937 2,117,478 Hall May 17,1938 2,180,750 Urbain Nov. 21, 1939 OTHER REFERENCES Nature, May 13, 1944, vol. 153, page 598, article entitled Antibacterial Substances in Green Plants.

Chemical and Engineering News, September 1945, page 1622, article entitled Penicillin as a Preservative.

The American Womans Cook Book, 1945, by Ruth Berolzheimer, published by Consolidated Book Publishers, Chicago, page 475. 

1. IN THE PROCESS OF TREATING FOOD PRODUCTS, THE STEP OF ADDING TO A FOOD PRODUCT A SMALL AMOUNT OF AN ANTIBIOTIC SUBSTANCE DERIVED FROM A PLANT OF THE GENUS KRAMERIA BY TREATMENT WITH A NONAQUEOUS ORGANIC SOLVENT TO PRESERVE SAID FOOD PRODUCT AGAINST PATHOGENIC BACTERIA RESPONSIBLE FOR FOOD POISONING AND SPOILAGE. 